Pure Religion Tony Cooke According to today’s politically correct and tolerant society, the last thing in the world a Christian should ever do is to state or imply that one person’s religion is better than another’s. We are supposed to embrace the idea that all religious expressions are equal and that all roads ultimately lead […]
Pride and Spiritual Leadership Tony Cooke Spiritual leaders must be aware of and guard themselves against the intoxicating and devastating influence of pride, especially when experiencing success. Pride is insidious. It deceives the one infected, causing him to think "more" of himself, and "less" of God. • Pride was a major factor in Lucifer’s downfall. […]
Practical Lessons from the Trinity by Tony Cooke Having grown up in a mainline denominational church, I was used to hearing about the Trinity. Every Sunday as church was being dismissed, we sang the Doxology, which ended with the admonition, "Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost." After decades of studying the Scripture, I am more […]
The Power of Talking to Yourself Rev. Tony Cooke One of the reasons that Lisa and I love sharing the Word of God around the world is because it is the truth of His Word that changes lives. When people come to the knowledge of His Word, they are acquiring the tools and skills necessary […]
The Bread by the Door – Understanding the Power of Association Rev. Tony Cooke We were greatly encouraged by the many expressions of love and support that we received following my father’s death (November 16, 2007). Each phone call, e-mail, card, flower arrangement, etc. meant so much to us, and each one seemed to release […]
Is it Stupid to Play by the Rules? Rev. Tony Cooke In Psalm 37 and 73, frustration is expressed at seeing people “get ahead,” even though they’ve cut corners and compromised, while the righteous seem to not be making as much progress. Psalm 73:13 (The Message Version) even says, “I’ve been stupid to play by […]
OUR MOST OVERLOOKED ASSET? By Rev. Tony Cooke People who yearn to do God’s will and positively influence others are always looking for ways to increase their effectiveness. I believe one of the most essential characteristics we have at our disposal-kindness-has often been overlooked. There may be those who think of kindness as somehow inferior […]
One Who Went Tony Cooke The eyes of the world have been on Japan for the last few weeks as it experienced a 9.0 earthquake, a tsunami that brought unimaginable devastation, and a nuclear incident that has been described as at least a partial meltdown. As these events unfolded, millions around the world have witnessed […]
It’s Not What You Think by Rev. Tony Cooke Albert Einstein said, “Thinking like we always have is what got us where we are. It is not going to get us where we are going.” One of the great quests of life is simply to get from point A to point B—from where we are […]
What Does “I’m Not Under the Law” Really Mean? Tony Cooke When a believer says, “I’m not under the law,” we usually assume that the person is really saying, “I’m not under the law of Moses.” This reflects an accurate understanding of Scripture. Even a casual study of Romans and Galatians will support this. For example, […]
It’s a Great Time Not to Worry Rev. Tony Cooke As I’ve traveled all over, it’s been interesting to see how people are handling the pressures and tensions in life. Just recently, an individual from the east coast told me, “People around here are on edge all the time.” Mickey Rivers, a one-time outfielder for […]
Things Aren’t Always As They Seem Tony Cooke Charles Spurgeon and his wife owned chickens, and people noted that they never gave any of the eggs away, but would only sell them. Some people felt they should have been more generous and accused them of being stingy and greedy. The Spurgeons were aware of these […]
The God of New Beginnings Rev. Tony Cooke Lamentations 3:22-23 22 Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. This is a beautiful way of saying that God is ever ready to forgive, to restore, and to renew. He is […]
Multi-Dimensional Ministry Tony Cooke One thing is certain about ministry; it is not one-dimensional. Ministry requires that we be able to adapt ourselves and our methods to different people and to different situations. Consider some of the following Scriptures that express this necessity: Romans 12:15 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those […]
Another Look at Multi-Dimensional Ministry Tony Cooke This is a sequel to a previously published article here. As a young Bible school student, I heard Brother Hagin emphasize three major aspects of Jesus’ ministry that are mentioned in Matthew 9:35. “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the […]
More Than a Sermon – More Than a Preacher Tony Cooke It’s amazing how we can focus on certain aspects of Scripture at one point in our lives, only to see richer, broader, deeper thoughts in surrounding and complementary passages as we mature through time, growth, and experience. For example, when I was a Bible […]
Mastering the Paradoxes of Ministry Tony Cooke A paradox involves the presentation of two ideas which seem to be contradictory, but are in fact, complementary. A few classic examples in Scripture of paradoxical statements are: “…when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10) We are in the world, but we are not […]
Are You Making Pearls or Just Getting Irritated? Rev. Tony Cooke There is a great lesson for us in understanding the formation of pearls. Natural pearls are formed when a grain of sand or another object slips in between one of the two shells of the oyster. Because of the irritating nature of the sand, […]
Loving the Old Testament By Rev. Tony Cooke For the past several months, I have been reading the Old Testament slowly and systematically, and it has done my soul good. I have always majored on the New Testament, and I’m sure that this will always be the case; after all, that is OUR Covenant. But […]
Are You “Looking After” or “Looking Up?” Rev. Tony Cooke Perhaps you’ve heard about the little boy who was given an orange by a man. The boy’s mother asked, “What do you say to the nice man?” The little boy thought for a second, handed the orange back, and said, “Peel it.” There’s a little […]
Someone once said, “I might pick a rosebud off a tree, and it would be a rosebud and no more. The one I love in all the world might pluck a rosebud off a tree and give it to me, and it would be a rosebud and a great deal more. The meaning would be changed because she gave it to me.” … read more
Living Deliberately By Tony Cooke Every time January rolls around, people begin speculating about what the New Year will bring. One individual said, "My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there." As understandable as that perspective is, Winston Churchill emphasized the importance of maintaining focus […]
Is it Live, or is it Memorex? By Tony Cooke I remember a decades-old television commercial from Memorex, a company that made cassette tapes. A glass was shown sitting on a table while the voice of Ella Fitzgerald was heard singing. When a certain high note was hit, the glass shattered and the viewer was […]
Process, Event, and the Little Red Hen By Tony Cooke Many years ago at a church service, I gave an altar call and a handful of people responded; one of these being a boy in his early teens. I had a self-congratulatory thought as though I was somehow responsible for these responses. Reality came quickly […]
Limitations: The Ones We Respect and the Ones We Transcend Tony Cooke There are two types of limitations. There are legitimate limitations that we should respect, and there are perceived limitations that we should transcend. Wisdom in life is knowing which limitations are valid and are to be respected, and which limitations are illusions that […]
